Card game



3 Sheets-Sheet l CARD GAME E. W. MCCARROLL Filed June 17, 1935 Dec. 15, 1936.

Dec. 15, 1936. E. w. MCCARROLL CARD GAME Filed June 17, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 y Dec. 15, 1936. E. W. MCCARROLL4 2,063,941y

CARD GAME Filed June 17, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 w si,

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mmf@ 1 Patented Dec. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PAE fili FFEQE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to games that are played by the instrumentality of a deck of cards, and has reference more particularly to a type of card game wherein the several cards of the deck bear groups of symbols, the several groups being different, but individual symbols being to a considerable extent duplicated throughout the several groups; the playing of the gaine involving the matching in turn of the cards held by the players with an exposed board card, and the detecting by the player of a match between one or more symbols on the played card and one or more like symbols on the board card, such detecting entitling the player to discard one or more cards from his hand, and the player who rst gets rid of all his cards winning the game.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel card game Well adapted to entertain and amuse card players. Another object is to provide a game which, in its playing, Will test the mental alertness, keenness of vision, and quickness of perception of identities and differences on the part of the players. And a further object is to provide a card game which may be played by any number of players from two up to the capacity of the deck, and will not require preliminary study or a course of instruction or practice to qualify the player to play the game well, the outcome of the game depending partly on chance and partly on skill.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which I have illustrated a sample card outt for playing the game, and wherein- Fig. 1 is a group view showing one-half of the cards of the deck.

Fig. 2 is a similar group view showing the other half of the cards.

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are views illustrating diiferent methods of playing the cards involving rewards and penalties which may be employed if desired to add interest and vary the chance element of the game.

In the drawings I have illustrated a sample deck or pack, consisting of sixty cards, each having on its face twelve different symbols, but the number of cards in a deck, and the number of symbols used may obviously be varied as desired, as well as the character of the symbols themselves, which have been arbitrarily selected and may obviously be replaced by other symbols serving the same purpose.

The cards are preferably numbered successively l to 60, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and each card, designated as an entirety by l0, is preferably divided by longitudinal lines l i and transverse lines i2, i2 into a plurality of blocks, herein shown as twelve in number, and these blocks are occu- 5 pied by the arbitrary symbols designated as a whole by i3. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the deck or pack consists of sixty cards, with twelve symbols in twelve blocks on each card, and on the sixty cards of twelve syinbols each there are thirty diiierent symbols, each repeated or duplicated twenty-four times, making a total of seven hundred and twenty symbols appearing on all the cards of the deck. One of these thirty symbols which is designated I3' may be 15 given a higher orvlower play value than the remaining symbols, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The .game is of that character wherein the obect of each player is to be the rst to get rid of his hand of cards, the person so iirst disposing of his hand winning the game, andthe game is played by each player successively attempting to match a card played by him with a table card.

The game may-be played by two or more persons up to the capacity of the pack to yield a plurality of cards to each player, and in playing the game the cards are iirst thoroughly shuffled and then dealt face down to the players in succession until the whole pack has been dealt. For example, with the deck shown, if iive persons are playing, each person is dealt 12 cards. If seven persons are playing, each player is dealt eight cards and the remaining four cards are laid to one side, face down, and constitute the bone yard or discard pile. 'Ihe person next to the dealer takes the topmost card from his pile and lays it face up on the table, this card becoming the table or board card. The next player then takes his topmost card from 40 his pile and places it alongside of the table card, in the manner shown in Fig. 3. If any symbol o-n the players card matches a symbol on the board card in the saine horizontal row of symbols, the player puts the board card in the discard pile or bone yard and the card he has played becomes the board card. In the example shown in Fig. 3, it will be observed that there is a match of the symbol Y in the bottom horizontal row, and if this match is detected by the player, he is entitled to place the board card in the bone yard and the card he has just played becomes the board card. On the other hand, if he cannot match any symbol on one of the four lines of symbols on the board card, he replaces the card '55 he has played on the bottom of his pile or hand, and the next player then tries to match his top card with the board card. If the player has a match but fails to detect it, he is obliged to return the card to his own hand as a penalty, instead of getting rid of it, and is also required to take one card from the bone yard, if called by one of the other players. If two matches are possible and he calls only one match, he takes back his card just played and also one card from the bone yard for the match he failed to call. If there are three or four matches possible, and he fails to call all of them, he is required to take a card from the bone yard for each match he tailed to call, in addition to taking back the card he just played, if called by one of the other players.

If the player nds two identical symbols on two corresponding rows of the two cards he gets one more play. If he nds three matches in three corresponding rows, he gets two more plays. And if he nds four matches on all of the four horizontal rows of the two cards, he is rewarded by three more plays.

As above stated, the rst player to get rid of his last card wins the game.

To make the game somewhat more diicult, and to establish additional rewards and penalties, I may employ certain other distinctive symbols on the cards which control the manner of matching the cards. This is best illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive. In the case of the pack of sixty cards shown, cards 1 to 15 inclusive have imprinted thereon a heart I4; cards 16 to 30 inclusive have imprinted thereon a diamond I5; cards 3l to 45 inclusive have imprinted thereon a spade I6; and cards 46 to El) inclusive have imprinted thereon a club I1. Now, regardless of the heart, diamond, spade or club symbol shown on the board or table card, if the player plays a. heart card, he is entitled to match the full four horizontal rows of symbols with the table card as shown in Fig. 3. If he plays a diamond card, he is entitled to match only three of the horizontal rows, as shown in Fig. 4; if he plays a spade card, he is entitled to match only two of the horizontal rows, as shown in Fig. 5; and if he plays a club card, he is entitled to match only one of the horizontal rows, as shown in Fig. 6. Manifestly, this trick introduces a considerably greater element of chance in effecting a match of symbols than where the game is played by matching all four rows with any card played. In lieu of using the heart, diamond, spade and club symbols for the purpose last described, the numerals appearing on the cards might be employed for the same purpose; that is, cards bearing a certain group of numerals being entitled to match on four rows; cards bearing another group of numerals on three rows; cards bearing still another group of numerals on two rows; and cards bearing still a further group of numerals, on only one row.

To designate the upright position of the card, the line I2 adjacent to one end of the card is given a distinctive character, such as by printing it as a double line, as shown, or as a heavy line, or in a distinctive color. Of course, any other arbitrarily selected marking may be employed for this purpose.

Explaining the significance of the symbolidentied as I3', I have selected for the name or title of this game, the word Wham-Doodle and the symbol identied as I3 may be regarded as a picture or portrait of old man Wham-Doodle. Under the preferred rules of play, the rst player to get rid of his last card will call Wham- Doodle to indicate to the rest that he has won the game. Also, when a player calls the number of matches possible, and is detected by one or more of the other players in his failure to call all the matches possible, the other player or players call out the word Wham-Doodle to indicate the failure. When the symbol old man Wham- Doodle (I3) is matched by another old man Wham-Doodle symbol, the player detecting this match is required to call out Wham-Doodle. If a player makes a match of the symbol I3', which possesses an additional play value, and calls it he is entitled to discard two additional cards from his hand into the bone yard.

It will be observed that all of the symbols employed are substantially different in visual appearance, which considerably facilitates comparison of the symbols, and, while the game is interesting and amusing, perhaps its chief merit lies in the test it affords of mental alertness, keenness or vision, and rapidity of perception of identities and diierences on the part o the players. A keen and highly observant player may easily play the game without an error. On the contrary, a dull player rating low in the qualities of keenness of vision and quick perception, may suffer many penalties through failure to discover a match of symbols when his play shows one or more.

While I have described a sample mode of play, it will be obvious that this may be variously modied, as for example, the cards might be matched endwise instead of sidewise. The card outt itself is not, of course, dependent upon any particular rules of play, which may be modied or changed by agreement among the players.

I claim:

1. A card game outt, comprising a deck of cards each bearing on its face a plurality of individual spaced symbols each different from all the other symbols appearing on said face, the total number of diierent symbols used in the deck being less than the aggregate number of symbols appearing on all the cards, and the Symbols on each card being individually duplicated in different groups on other cards.

2. A card game outt, comprising a deck of cards each bearing on its face a plurality of individual spaced symbols each different from all the other symbols appearing on said face, the total number of different symbols used in the deck being less than the number of cards, and the symbols on each card being individually duplicated in different groups on other cards.

3. A card game outt, comprising a deck of cards each bearing on its face a plurality of individual spaced symbols each diierent from all the other symbols appearing on said face, said symbols arranged in rows, the total number of different symbols used in the deck being less than the aggregate number of symbols appearing on all the cards, and the symbols on each card being individually duplicated in different groups on other cards.

4. A card game outfit, comprising a deck of cards each bearing on its face a plurality of individual spaced symbols each diierent from all the other symbols appearing on said face, said symbols arranged in parallel rows, the total number of different symbols used in the deck being less than the number of cards, and the symbols on each card being individually duplicated in dfferent groups on other cards.

5. A card game outfit, comprising a deck 0f.

cards each having on the face thereof continuous longitudinal and transverse lines dividing said face into blocks and a plurality of individual symbols each diierent from all the other symbols appearing on said face respectively occupying said blocks, the several cards of the deck having a like number of blocks and symbols, the total number of different symbols used being less than the number of cards, and the symbols on each card being individually duplicated in different groups on other cards.

6. A card game outt, comprising a deck of cards each having on the face thereof continuous longitudinal and transverse lines dividing said face into blocks and a plurality of individual symbols each different from all the other symbols appearing on said face respectively occupying said blocks, the several cards of the deck having a like number of blocks and symbols, the total number of different symbols used being less than the aggregate number of symbals appearing on all the cards, and the symbols on each card being individually duplicated in diierent groups on other cards; one of the end transverse lines on the face of each card consisting of a plurality of lines to distinguish the top of the card from its bottom.

'7. A card game outfit, comprising a deck of cards each bearing on its face a plurality of individual spaced symbols each different from all other symbols appearing on said face, said symbols arranged in rows, the total number of different symbols used in the deck being less than the aggregate number of symbols appearing on all the cards, and the symbols on each card being individually duplicated in different groups on other cards; fractional portions of the total deck bearing respectively different symbols distinctive from the above named symbols to indicate rewards and penalties in play.

8. A card game outfit, comprising a deck of cards each bearing on its face a plurality of individual spaced symbols each different from all the other symbols appearing on said face, said symbols arranged in rows, the total number of different symbols used in the deck being less than the aggregate number of symbols appearing on all the cards, and the symbols on each card being individually duplicated in different groups on other cards; one-fourth of the cards bearing also the symbol hearts, one-fourth the symbol diamonds, one-fourth the symbol spades, and onefourth the symbol clubs, to indicate rewards or penalties in play.

EDWARD W. MCCARROLL. 

